Means for pressing and finishing cloth caps.



A. KNOWLES.

MEANS FOR PRESSING AND FINISHING GLOTH CAPS.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 20,1912.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

A. KNOWLES.

v MEANS FOR PRESSING AND FINISHING CLOTH CAPS.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 20,1912.

1,069,33'7, Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ALFRED KNOWLES, OF CHEETHAM, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR PRESSING AND FINISHING CLOTH CAPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1912.

Patented Aug. 55,1913. Serial No. 710,664.

To (ZZZ whom 2'25 may concern Be itknown that I, ALFRED KNowLEs, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Cheetham, Man chester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Means for Pressing and Finishing Cloth Caps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for pressing and finishing clo-th caps and more particularly to those of the peaked variety, the object being to provide mechanical means by which the whole of the cap can be pressed and finished at one operation.

Prior to the date of my invention caps of the type referred to have, so far as I am aware, always been pressed and finished by hand, that is to say, by ironing with the usual types of heated irons, a process which is not only laborious but slow.

The object of my invention is to avoid the defects of the method referred to by providing means by which peaked caps mainly may be pressed in that type of press which is used for the pressing of felt hats, helmets and the like.

My invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation showing my improvements applied to a press of the type referred to, Fig. 2 plan of same and Figs. 3 and 4 similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 of a modified arrangement of the device.

In the aforementioned drawings a indicates a portion of the bed or table of a hat press and b and 0 the upper and lower portions, respectively, of a box used in such press, which is movable upand down by the ordinary well known means. The two parts of the box have secured between them so as to make a water tight joint an indiarubber bag (Z which is held in position by bolts 6, set-screws or the like.

My invention consists in the provision of anew construction of dish adapted to be employed in a press such as hereinbefore mentioned, such dish being formed to embrace the outside of the cap and enable the whole of the body as well as the peak to be pressed and finished at a single operation. Peaked caps, as is well known, consist of a band or portion f which fits the head while the main body 0, or in other words the crown, extends from this upwardly and usually bulges outwardly, as at h to considerably larger diameter, the front of such bulging portion being usually fastened to the visor i by a spring button fastener or other suitable device. It is on account of this bulging-out portion and its connection with the peak that difficulties have presented themselves in the arrangement of suitable means for effecting mechanical pressing.

My invention therefore, consists in a dish usually formed in two main parts an upper and a lower portion, such lower or base portion 7' being provided with an integral flanged portion 70. The flanged portion fits in a hole formed in the table a and is shaped as indicated in. the drawings to correspond with the upper portion of the bulging section of the cap, the latter being shown in reverse position in Figs. 1 and 2. The second main portion of the dish is made in halves m and n as indicated in the figures, although the port-ion m may be formed integral with the lower dish portion The portions m and 'n, are much easier to make and are most effective in use when made in two separate parts as shown in the drawings and adapted to be fitted in the lower portion j, such as by a recess 0 and. extending ring p, the oint being preferably slightly tapered so as to provide a good fit. The portion n is provided with an extending flange or block 9 of substantially the same shape as the visor of the cap in plan so that such visor may rest thereon and be pressed as well as the other portions of the cap. lVhere caps having a visor at back and front are to be pressed a similar block '2"- is formed on the portion m, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. The interior surface of the parts m and n is shaped to correspond with the lower part of the bulging portion of the cap and with the band portion which fits the head. The forming of the top portion of the dish in two parts m and n is to enable a peaked cap to be placed in the dish easily and to be withdrawn therefrom after pressing without disturbing its pressed shape. Thus prior to the usual box portion 7) and 0 being lowered on to the table a with its indiarubber bag (Z, the cap placed in position by first taking away the portion m and by then pushing the cap into position with its visor on the block 9 and the body portion resting in the dish The part m can then be placed in position and the usual pressing operation take place by lowering the box Z), 0 and indiarubber bag (Z and afterward admitting hydraulic pressure within the box and dish so enabling the rubber bag to press all parts or" the cap including the peak in the dish or mold as will be well understood. The indiarubber bag is indicated by the black section. The dish 7' is heated in the usual way to the dishes employed in the felt hat pressing machines previously referred to. The result of the operation is to give a perfect finish to the cap, the box and indiarubber bag being subsequently raised. and the cap withdrawn by taking away one half of the mold m in the manner previously described.

The portion of the mold a may be made in one with the lower portion j while the portion on may be loose as previously described and may be hinged. to the portion a.

In Figs. 8 and -;la modification of the device is shown for use in pressing caps without visors. The device is constructed as previously described with the exception that the extension for supporting the visor during pressing is dispensed with. The upper portion of the dish may be made in two parts m and a forming a complete ring and may be manipulated in the manner previously described. On the other hand such parts may be made in one piece or ring since the cap after pressing can be removed from the underside of the ring alter lifting the latter away from the have portion j. The upper portion oi? the dish, that is to say the parts on, and I? may be made in more than two parts. The band. oil the cap may be held in position against the parts m and 9% while the indiarubber bag descends into the cavity of the dish by means of removable metal clips 8.

The arrangements of device hereinbefore described enable caps to be thoroughly pressed in much quicker time and with better results than is the case with hand pressing.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;-

1. In a press for cloth caps, the combination, with a dish comprising a lower portion and a separable upper portion, the lower portion being provided with a mold for the crown of the cap, and the upper portion having a mold for the band or the cap of smaller size than the crown mold and having means for locating it in position on the crown mold, of a press boX provided with an extensible bag adapted to fit over the said upper portion and engage with the inside of the cap.

2. In a press for cloth caps, the combination, with a dish comprising a lower por tion and a separable upper portion, the lower portion being provided with a mold for the crown of the cap, and the upper portion having a mold for the band of the cap of smaller size than the crown mold and having means for locating it in position on the crown mold, and said upper portion being formed of separable sections, of a press box provided with an extensible bag adapted to fit over the said upper portion and engage with the inside of the cap.

3. In a press for cloth caps, the combina tion, with a mold provided with a crown portion and a band portion of smaller size than the crown portion, said band portion having a separable section, so that the cap may be inserted in and removed from the mold, and said separable section being provided with means for locating it in position in the mold, of a press boX provided with an extensible bag adapted to fit over the band portion of the mold and engage with. the inside of the cap.

t. In a press for cloth caps, the combination, with a supporting table provided with a recess, of a dish comprising a lower portion and a separable upper ring formed of separable sections, said lower portion having a flange which engages with the said recess, and having also a concave mold for the top of the crown of the cap, and said upper ring having inwardly and upwardly curved portions which overlap the concave mold and which form a mold for the lower part of the crown and the head band of the cap, and one of the ring sections having a block on its outer side which forms a mold for the visor of the cap, a press box which rests on the table around the said ring, and an extensible bag secured to the press box and arranged to bear on the said flange and the outer part of the ring and to press the cap and its visor in a single operation against the aforesaid molds.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my h and in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED IUQOIVLES.

Witnesses IVILLIAM H. TAYLOR, AMY Evnmnn EVTNS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

